Multiple criteria buying and selling model

ABSTRACT

A system and method for aggregating demand is provided. At least one seller may sponsor a deal room to aggregate selling goods/services from a plurality of buyers. The demand aggregation system can include a dashboard for allowing the at least one seller to set up DealRooms, price curves, offers, products, customers, and/or customer groups, for example. The dashboard can include a plurality of wizards for configuring such information. The demand aggregation system can also include seller displays for notifying buyers of changes in prices relative to ship dates and times of order. The demand aggregation system can also include a predictive modeling and reporting function. An algorithm is employed to utilize product information to post a probability chart on a product price point.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation and claims the prioritybenefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/893,204 filed May 13,2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,626,605 which:

(1) is a continuation and claims the priority benefit of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/710,095 filed Feb. 22, 2010, which is acontinuation and claims the priority benefit of Ser. No. 10/351,069filed on Jan. 24, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,693,748, which claims thepriority benefit of U.S. provisional application 60/351,770, filed Jan.25, 2002 and U.S. provisional application 60/375,628, filed Apr. 26,2002, and which is a continuation-in-part and claims the prioritybenefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/324,391, filed on Jun. 3,1999, which claims priority to U.S. provisional application 60/133,769,filed May 12, 1999;

(2) is a continuation-in-part and claims the priority benefit of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/426,063 filed Oct. 22, 1999, now U.S.Pat. No. 7,818,212;

(3) is a continuation-in-part and claims the priority benefit of PCTpatent application PCT/US00/11989, filed May 3, 2000, which claimspriority to: U.S. provisional application 60/137,583, filed Jun. 4,1999; U.S. provisional application 60/138,209, filed Jun. 9, 1999; U.S.provisional application 60/139,338, filed Jun. 16, 1999; U.S.provisional application 60/139,518, filed Jun. 16, 1999; U.S.provisional application 60/139,519, filed Jun. 16, 1999; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/342,345, filed Jun. 29, 1999; U.S. provisionalapplication 60/142,371, filed Jul. 6, 1999; U.S. provisional application60/160,510, filed Oct. 20, 1999; U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/426,063, filed Oct. 22, 1999; U.S. provisional application60/162,182, filed Oct. 28, 1999; and U.S. provisional application60/173,409, filed Dec. 28, 1999; U.S. provisional application 60/133,769filed May 12, 1999; U.S. provisional application No. 60/135,972 filedMay 6, 1999; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/324,391 filed Jun.3, 1999, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application60/133,769 filed May 12, 1999.

The entireties of all prior-filed applications listed herein are herebyincorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a demand aggregation system and moreparticularly to a system and method of employing various features withinthe demand aggregation system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The buying and selling of products and services has resulted in a vastarray of buying schemes which are used to vary the price at which suchproducts are sold. A common buying scheme, which businesses encounterregularly, is known as volume buying. According to this buying scheme,sellers set a fixed unit price for their products based on the volume ofunits that a buyer is willing to purchase. Buyers desiring to purchaseproducts from the seller are each required to pay the same fixed pricedepending on the volume of units the buyer is purchasing. If a sellerfinds that the demand for a given product is greater or less thanexpected, the seller may later adjust the fixed price per unit of theproduct to account for such findings. Although the fixed price per unitsystem provides a simple way for a seller to conduct business withmultiple buyers, one drawback of this buying scheme is that it fails toprovide buyers with a choice between a variety of different buyingcriteria that may be just as important as or more important to the buyerthan price.

For example, a buyer that is in need of goods, such as raw materials tomake products for an expedited order may be willing to pay a higherprice for a faster delivery time. Another buyer may be concerned withthe quality of the goods they are purchasing, such that the buyer wouldpay a higher price for goods having a minimum number of defects. Yetanother buyer may be concerned with the warranty time allotted for thegoods they are purchasing, and may want the warranty of the goods thatthey are purchasing to match or exceed the warranty the buyers areoffering their own customers.

Yet another buying scheme which has been advanced in recent years isbuyer-driven bidding. According to this buying scheme, a single buyerdesiring to obtain a product communicates a price at which the buyer iswilling to purchase the product to multiple sellers. Each of the sellersis provided an opportunity to review the buyer's price. A sale iscomplete when one of the sellers agrees to sell the product to the buyerat the price suggested by the buyer. While the buyer-driven biddingscheme provides advantages for certain types of transactions when, forexample, sellers may be willing to sell products at lower than normalprices, the uncertainties involved with whether a buyer's offer will beaccepted is often problematic for high volume commercial transactions inwhich the reliability that a transaction will be complete is ofparamount importance. Another problem with the present buying schemes isthat the buyers have no control in determining the criteria of theproduct or services that they may receive, while the seller has nocontrol of the type of purchase that the buyer's request.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTLY CLAIMED INVENTION

A demand aggregation system is structured to provide incentive forbuyers to work together when purchasing products. By working together,buyers are able to take advantage of lower pricing due to quantitydiscounts. To facilitate buying and selling products using the volumepricing methodology, an electronic forum is provided whereby buyers andsellers are able to conveniently exchange information and orderproducts.

A system and method for aggregating demand is provided. At least oneseller may sponsor a deal room to aggregate selling goods/services froma plurality of buyers. The demand aggregation system can include a salesmanager dashboard for allowing the at least one seller to set upDealRooms, price curves, offers, products, customers, and/or customergroups, for example. The sales manager dashboard can include a pluralityof wizards for configuring such information.

The demand aggregation system can also include an action managerdashboard for allowing access to a plurality of DealRooms from a singledisplay. The action manager dashboard can provide access to part of orthe entire operation of DealRooms from multiple suppliers, multiplebuyers, multiple price curves, etc. New customers can be posted toDealRooms, access rights to DealRooms can be changed, and customers canbe deleted from DealRooms by the action manager dashboard.

The demand aggregation system can also include seller displays fornotifying buyers of changes in prices relative to ship dates and timesof order. The displays can include: a calendar for showing offers byday; a product calendar that coincides with the product ship date; alisting posted in a DealRoom; prices and quantities of availablein-stock products; and a three-dimensional chart which includes a monthwith relative price points and quantities available, a price curve, andtime remaining.

The demand aggregation system can also include a predictive modeling andreporting function. An algorithm is employed to utilize the productinformation to post a probability chart on a product price point.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the inventionthen, comprises the features hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims. The following description andthe annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects ofthe invention. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few ofthe various ways in which the principles of the invention may beemployed and the present invention is intended to include all suchaspects and their equivalents. Other objects, advantages and novelfeatures of the invention will become apparent from the followingdetailed description of the invention when considered in conjunctionwith the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a diagrammatic view of a system for electronicallyconducting business in accordance with an aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 a illustrates a block diagram of a central server in accordancewith an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2 b is a schematic illustration of a client computer operativelycoupled to a server computer system in accordance with an aspect of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a web page providing options to buyers and sellersdesiring to conduct business electronically in accordance with an aspectof the present invention;

FIG. 4 a illustrates a buyer's buying criteria input screen inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 4 b illustrates a buyer's product ordering criteria input screen inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 4 c illustrates a list of seller's deals matching the buyer'sproduct ordering criteria in accordance with an aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart for a buyer desiring to conduct businesselectronically in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates an on-line registration form for a buyer inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a buyer database stored in a central server inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 8 a illustrates a web page for a buyer to create or modify a dealin accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 8 b illustrates a seller's buying and selling criteria input screenin accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 8 c illustrates a seller's product ordering criteria input screenin accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 8 d illustrates an input screen for adding buying and sellingcriteria to the deal in accordance with an aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a flow chart for a seller desiring to conductbusiness electronically in accordance with an aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 10 illustrates an on-line registration form for a seller inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates a seller database stored in the central server inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of an ordering process in accordancewith an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of an electronic forum forconducting a seller sponsored business transaction in accordance with anaspect of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of an electronic forum forconducting a buyer sponsored business transaction in accordance with anaspect of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a schematic illustration of an electronic forum forconducting a buyer and seller co-sponsored business transaction inaccordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is an example of a price curve in accordance with an aspect ofthe present invention.

FIG. 17 is an example of another price curve in accordance with anaspect of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is an example of a spot curve in accordance with an aspect ofthe present invention.

FIG. 19 is an example of a demand aggregation system in accordance withan aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is an example of a multidimensional price curve in accordancewith an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is an example of a seasonal price curve in accordance with anaspect of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is an example of another price curve in accordance with anaspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order toprovide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. Thissummary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended toneither identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineatethe scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some conceptsof the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detaileddescription that is presented later.

As used in this application, the term “component” is intended to referto a computer-related entity, either hardware, a combination of hardwareand software, software, or software in execution. For example, acomponent may be, but is not limited to, a process running on aprocessor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution,a program, and a computer. By way of illustration, both an applicationrunning on a server and the server can be a component.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a demand aggregation system 10 is shownin which multiple buyers 15 and sellers 20 are electronically linked viaa central server 25. As discussed in more detail below, the centralserver 25 is configured to provide the buyers 15 and sellers 20 with aconvenient forum in which to buy and sell goods in accordance with anaspect of the present invention. The forum may, for example, be apre-established Internet web page where sellers 20 can post productinformation and the buyers 15 can order products. The multiple criteriabuying scheme calls for a seller 20 to post a number of deals for agiven product, which vary according to different offering criteriadefining the limits of a number of selling criteria, such as, forexample, price, volume, quality and delivery time. The buyers 15 canenter a range of criteria that the buyer would require for a deal to bemade. A list of sellers and prospective deals offered by sellers 20 isgenerated for the buyers 15 to review. The buyers 15 can then review thelist of deals and choose a deal based on the buyers' 15 particularneeds. In this manner, the buyers 15 can be certain that particularthresholds have been met.

It is to be appreciated that the present invention has wideapplicability to the purchasing and/or selling of a variety of differentproducts and/or services. For example, the present invention may beapplied within the context of purchasing and/or selling airline ticketswherein buyers' criteria may include, for example: (1) reputation ofairline; (2) reliability; (3) timeliness; (4) price; (5) number ofalternative flights; (6) comfort; (7) quality of service; and (8)quality of foods. The sellers' criteria may include, for example: (1)volume of tickets; (2) buyer's versatility in time schedule; (3) buyer'smethod of payment, etc.

The present invention may also be applied in the context of purchasingand/or selling an automobile wherein buyer's criteria may include, forexample: (1) reputation of automobile manufacturer; (2) reputation ofdealer; (3) price of automobile; (4) delivery options; (5) automobileavailability; (6) safety; and (7) financing terms; etc. While, theseller's criteria may include, for example: (1) buyer'screditworthiness; (2) desired finance terms; (3) delivery requests ofbuyer; (4) delivery dates; etc.

Thus, the present invention allows buyers and/or sellers of productsand/or services to pre-select a plurality of criteria prior tonegotiating a deal for the product and/or service. Of course thepreselected criteria will vary depending on the particular productand/or service. The scope of the present invention as defined in thehereto appended claims intends to include any product and/or service(and plurality of preselected criteria associated therewith) suitablefor deal-making in accordance with the present invention.

Each of the buyers 15 and sellers 20 may access the central server 25 inany of a variety of ways. For example, in the present aspect, each buyer15 and seller 20 is shown to be part of separate establishments 30 whichinclude one or more respective computer systems 35 and local servers 40.The computer systems 35 may, for example, be a desktop or laptopcomputer with a local area network (LAN) interface for communicatingover a network backbone 45 to the local server 40. The local servers 40,in turn, interface with the central server 25 via a network cable 50 orthe like. It will be appreciated that while the present aspect depictsthe computer system 35 communicating with the central server 25 viahardwired network connections, in an alternative aspect the computersystem 35 may interface with the central server 25 using a modem,wireless local area and/or wide area networks, etc. Further, it will beappreciated, that while the buyers 15 and sellers 20 are shown tocommunicate with the central server 25 via different computer systems35, it will be appreciated that the buyers 15 and/or sellers 20 mayaccess the central server 25 from the same computer system 25.

Turning now to FIG. 2 a, a block diagram of hardware components of thecentral server 25 is shown. In particular, the central server 25includes a central processor 100 for performing the various functionsdescribed herein. A memory 105 is coupled to the processor 100 andstores operating code and other data associated with the operations ofthe central server 25. A user interface 110 is also coupled to theprocessor 100 and provides an interface through which the central server25 may be directly programmed or accessed. The user interface 110 may,for example, be an alphanumeric keyboard and mouse. A network interface115 coupled to the processor 100 provides multiple connections fortransceiving information with buyers 15 and sellers 20 over the networkcables 50.

As previously stated, the present invention could take advantage of thewide availability and versatility of the Internet. Referring to FIG. 2b, a schematic block diagram is illustrated which depicts an environmentof interest in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. Theclient computer system 35 is shown connected to the central servercomputer system 25 that is part of the Internet 60. The client computersystem 35 and server 25 are connected via an Internet connection 55using a public switched phone network, for example, such as thoseprovided by a local or regional telephone operating company. TheInternet connection 55 may also be provided by dedicated data lines,Personal Communication Systems (PCS), microwave, or satellite networks,for example, or any suitable means. It is to be understood that theterms client and server are to be construed in the broadest sense, andthat all such constructions of the terms are intended to fall within thescope of the hereto appended claims.

Turning now to FIG. 3, an exemplary Internet web page 120 which providesbuyers 15 and sellers 20 with access to a forum for conducting businessusing the multiple criteria buying methodology described in detail belowis shown. The web page 120 is shown to include hyperlinks for handlingboth registered and un-registered buyers and sellers of products. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 3, registered buyers may select a hyperlink toa registered buyer login screen via hyperlink 125 while non-registeredbuyers may select a hyperlink to a non-registered buyer registrationscreen via hyperlink 135. Similarly, registered sellers may select ahyperlink to a registered seller login screen via hyperlink 130, whilenon-registered sellers may select a hyperlink to a non-registered sellerregistration screen via hyperlink 140. While the present aspectillustrates separate hyperlinks for buyers and sellers, it will beappreciated that such hyperlinks could alternatively be combined and thestatus of buyer or seller could be determined during a later stage inthe login procedure.

Turning now to FIG. 4 a, in accordance with an aspect of the presentinvention, registered buyers 15 enter several product buying criteriainto a “Buyer's Buying Criteria” input page 150. The buyer 15 selects aproduct or service from a list in a scroll down menu 152. It should beappreciated that the list on the scroll down menu 152 could include anynumber of related or non-related goods and services only limited by thesize of a database used in accordance with the present invention. Uponselecting a product or service (e.g., glass) from the scroll down menu152, a list of seller criteria automatically appears in a window 160.The list of seller criteria appearing in the window 160 can includeminimum inputs to be provided by the buyer to obtain a deal listing.These minimum inputs are decided by a class of sellers sellingindividual product(s) or service(s) and/or decided by a systemadministrator of the system. The buyer 15 can then begin adding buyingcriteria by selecting criteria from a scroll down list 154, and clickingon an “Add to List” button 156 with a computer mouse (not shown) or viaa touch screen, for example. If the buyer 15 desires to remove aselected criterion, the buyer can highlight the criterion in the window160 and click on a “Remove from List” button 158. Once the list iscompleted, the buyer 15 may add additional criteria not in the selectionof choices. The additional criteria may or may not be utilized in thisparticular deal search; however, if it is not, it will be provided tothe sellers, such that they can be alerted of these additional criteriaimportant to the buyer. Accordingly, sellers may opt to add theadditional criteria to the selectable choices at a later time. Once thecomplete custom buying criteria list is completed, the buyer can clickon a “Submit Criteria” button 162 for submission of the buyer's buyingcriteria to build a “Buyer's Product Ordering Criteria” input screen165, as illustrated in FIG. 4 b.

Turning now to FIG. 4 b, in accordance with an aspect of the presentinvention, buyer 15 enter several product ordering criteria that wouldbe acceptable to the buyer 15 on a “Buyer's Product Ordering Criteria”input screen 165. In this particular example, the buyer 15 is looking topurchase raw glass by the pound, however, many different types ofproducts and services could be purchased/sold using the presentinvention. The buyer's ordering criteria of this example includes: pricerange 166 in dollars per pound; volume range 168 in number of pounds;delivery range 170 in days; the acceptable % of defects 172 in percent;and the minimum required warranty 174 in months. The buyer 15 can thenlist the names of the sellers 20 in the window 176 that the buyer 15 hasbought products from previously, so that the buyer 15 can be entitled toany good customer or multi-purchase discounts offered by the sellers 20.Once the buying ordering criteria are entered, the buyer can search fordeals by clicking on a “Search for Deal” button 178 on a touch screenand/or via a mouse and/or via a touch screen. A search engine can thenbe employed to search through a database of deals offered by varioussellers of the product, and provide an output of deals to the buyerwhich matches the buyer's ordering criteria. The output can be displayedon a “Deal Matching Ordering Criteria” page 180, as shown in FIG. 4 c.

In FIG. 4 c, registered sellers 20 set up a variety of deals 182 bywhich buyers 15 are able to order products. As will be discussed in moredetail below, the variety of deals 182 are set up to display thefollowing information which is input from the seller 20 and/orcalculated by the processor 100 of the central processor 25 according tothe deal 182, which includes: a seller name 184; a deal number 186; avolume ordering range required 188 to obtain a current price/pound level190; an expected delivery time 192; a warranty period 196; and apercentage of defects 198 of the product the buyer 15 can expect toreceive in a given order. Based on such information, buyers 15 can makean informed decision as to whether they desire to order a particulardeal based on the criteria that is important to that particular buyer.If a buyer 15 desires to place an order, the buyer 15 inputs a seller183, a deal number 185 and a volume order 187. The buyer 15 then clickson the “Submit Deal” button 189 with a mouse pointer, for example, onthe computer display and the deal is finalized.

Turning now to FIG. 5, a methodology of entering web page 150 isillustrated. At 200, it is determined whether a buyer 15 is registeredor not. If the buyer 15 is not registered, the buyer 15 selectshyperlink 135 (FIG. 3) and proceeds to 205. At 205, the processor 100 ofthe central server 25 requests that the buyer 15 fill out a registrationform. For example, the buyer 15 is requested to fill out a registrationform 208 such as that shown in FIG. 6. In the present example, theregistration form 208 requests that the buyer 15 enter information suchas: buyer name; address; primary contact person; phone; fax; e-mail;short description of company; preferred login user name; and preferredpassword. With respect to the user name and password, the processor 100is configured to determine whether the selected user name and passwordcombination are available and, if not, to prompt the buyer 15 to enter anew user name and password until an available combination is selected.

Turning back to FIG. 5, at 210, the buyer is requested to fill out acredit card application so that purchases made on the web site may beimmediately approved. The credit card registration and approval processmay be accomplished via a hyperlink to one of various electronic creditcard approval agencies which check the buyer's credit rating and set upa merchant account with a line of credit. For example, an electroniccredit card approval agency which may be used in conjunction with thepresent invention can be found on the Internet atinterent-ecommerce.com. Next, at 215, the processor 100 determines ifthe credit card application has been approved by the electronic creditcard approval agency. If the credit card application has not beenapproved, the processor 100 proceeds to 220 where a message is sent backto the buyer 15 indicating regret that they have not been approved for aline of credit and therefore have not successfully completed theregistration process. At 220, a customer service telephone number can beprovided to the buyer 15 in case the buyer has questions and/or desiresto pursue registration further.

If at 215, the processor 100 is informed that the buyer 15 has beenprovided a line of credit and a credit card number has been issued, theprocessor 100 proceeds to 225. At 225, the buyer information from theregistration form 208 and the newly issued credit card number are storedin a buyer database 270 (FIG. 7) in the memory 105 of the processor 25(FIG. 2 a). Next, at 230, the processor 100 is configured to provide thebuyer 15 with the newly issued credit card number so that the buyer 15is able to purchase products and/or services. Furthermore, the processor100 is configured to provide a report to the system administrator whothen mails a confirmation copy of the buyer's information stored in thebuyer's database to the buyer 15. This completes the buyer'sregistration process.

Returning back to 200, if a buyer has already registered, the buyer 15may login as a registered user by selecting the registered userhyperlink 125 (FIG. 3). Once selected, the processor 100, at 240,prompts the buyer 15 to enter a user ID and password. Upon entry of suchinformation, the processor 100 verifies the user ID and password withthose stored in the buyer database 270 (FIG. 7). If the user ID andpassword entered by the buyer 15 does not match any entry in the buyerdatabase 270, the processor 100 returns to 235 for re-entry of suchinformation. If, however, at 240, a valid user ID and password areentered, the processor 100 proceeds to 245.

At 245, the processor 100 provides the buyer 15 with a buyer's buyingcriteria input screen where the buyer 15 is able to enter a variety ofbuying criteria that is important to that particular buyer 15. The buyer15 selects a plurality of buying criteria and submits the criteria, sothat the system can build an input ordering criteria form. At 250, thebuyer 15 enters a range of ordering criteria that is acceptable to thebuyer in the input ordering criteria form, and then submits the criteriacausing the system search engine to match the ordering criteria with alist of seller deals in a seller deal database. The search engine thenlists the seller deals matching the buyer's buying and orderingcriteria. As discussed above, the deals 182 provide the buyer 15 withinformation regarding the sale of a particular product such as, forexample, a volume range to get a particular price per pound, deliverytime, warranty period and a percentage of defects in each order that abuyer can expect. In order to allow a buyer to quickly find deals 182 ofinterest, the processor 100 provides the buyer 15 with the input“Buyer's Buying Criteria” input screen 150, so that active deals 182 ofinterest may be found.

Once a search is completed, the buyer 15, at 250, can select a desireddeal 182 from the results obtained. For example, the buyer 15 may choosea desired deal because it has a faster delivery time than the otherdeals. The buyer 15 may choose a deal because it has a low percentage ofdefects in the goods, or has a longer warranty than other goods.Regardless of the deal the buyer 15 may choose, the buyer 15 can make aninformed decision based on a variety of buying criteria. If the buyer 15is unsatisfied with the search results or simply desires to re-performthe search, the buyer 15 at any time is able to return back to aprevious screen selecting the “back” function available using anInternet browser such as, for example, Microsoft Internet Explorer,Netscape, etc. Additionally, a hyperlink to various screens, such as thesearch screen, preferably is provided on each web page.

Upon selecting a deal 182, the processor 100 in step 255 displays a pageof standard terms and conditions which the buyer 15 must agree to priorto completing the deal. The terms and conditions relate to the termsgoverning the sale of the product or service according to which both thebuyer and seller are willing to conduct business. If the terms andconditions are not accepted, the processor 100 returns the buyer 15 tostep 245, so that another deal 182 may be selected and/or another searchmay be performed. If, however, in step 260 the terms and conditions areaccepted, the processor 100 proceeds to allow the buyer 15 to completethe deal in step 265.

Turning now to FIG. 8 a, in accordance with one aspect of the presentinvention, registered sellers 20 enter into a “Create or Modify Deal”screen 275. The seller 20 can choose a product or service from theproduct/service scroll down menu 276 and choose to either click on an“Open New Deal” button 278, a “Modify Existing Deal” button 280 or a“Review Buyer Inputted Criteria” button 282. If the buyer selects the“Review Buyer Inputted Criteria” button 282, the seller will be providedwith a list of buyer buying criteria that the buyers 15 manuallyinputted into the window 160 of FIG. 4 a. This allows the sellers 20 toreview criteria that are important to their buyers, which the sellerswere not aware. If a seller 20 chooses to click on the “Open New Deal”button 278, the seller 20 will enter into a “Seller's Product SellingCriteria” input screen 300, as illustrated in FIG. 8 b. If the seller 20chooses to click on the “Modify Existing Deal” button 280, the seller 20will enter into a “Seller's Product Offering Criteria” input screen 330,as illustrated in FIG. 8 c with the seller being prompted to enter adeal number, which causes the ordering criteria of the chosen dealnumber to be editable in the input screen.

Referring to FIG. 8 b illustrating the “Seller's Selling Criteria” inputscreen 300, the seller 20 can begin building a new deal by selecting anumber of seller additional criteria, and seller criteria from a list ina scroll down menu 302 and a list in scroll down menu 306, respectively.The seller can click on the “Add Seller Additional Criteria” button 304for adding seller additional criteria from the scroll down menu 302 intoa window 310 containing a deal criteria list 303. The deal criteria list303 includes a first portion listing the “Product Agreed upon SellerCriteria” 305, decided by the group of sellers for a particularproduct/service and/or the system administrator, a second portion whichis the seller criteria list 307 and a third portion which is the selleradditional criteria list 309. It should be noted that the criteria inthe seller additional criteria list is not a mandatory criteria for thebuyer when the buyer is inputting the buyer's buying criteria at 245 ofFIG. 5, but is listed in the terms and conditions 265 after a deal ischosen by the buyer. The seller can add seller criteria by selecting thecriteria from the scroll down bar 306 and clicking on the “Add SellerCriteria” button 308. The seller can remove any of the criteria from theoverall criteria list, except for the “Product Agreed upon SellerCriteria”, by highlighting the selection with the computer mouse andclicking on a “Remove from List” button 312. The seller 20 can add newselling criteria by clicking on a hyperlink 316 labeled “Add NewCriteria” sending the seller 20 to an “Adding and Modifying DealCriteria” screen 360, illustrated in FIG. 8 d. The seller can modifycurrent criteria by highlighting the criteria in window 310 and clickingon a hyperlink 318 labeled “Modify Existing Criteria” sending the sellerto the “Adding and Modifying Deal Criteria” screen 360 with the criteriainformation defaulting to the highlighted criteria for modificationtherefrom.

Referring now to FIG. 8 c, once the criteria are selected and submitted,the system generates the “Seller's Product Offering Criteria” inputscreen 330. A seller number 331, a product type 332 and a current dealnumber 333 are automatically generated and displayed on input screen330. The seller 20 can enter offering limits relating to the sellingcriteria of the seller's product for a particular deal. The seller'soffering criteria of this example includes: price 166 in dollars perpound; volume range 168 in the number of pounds; delivery time 170 indays; the % of defects 172 in percent; and the warranty 174 in months.The seller 20 can also list the names of the buyers 15 in a window 344that the deal is being offered or select and/or type in a term, such as“All” if the offer is open to any buyer. Once the seller offeringcriteria is entered, the seller 20 can submit the deal by clicking on a“Submit/Modify Deal” button 350 on the computer screen by using thecomputer's mouse. The present invention then creates a record of thedeal in a database of deals offered by various sellers 20 of theproduct. Accordingly, deals in which a seller's offering criteria matcha buyer's ordering criteria can be output to the buyer 15 in a list ofdeals on the “Deals Matching Ordering Criteria” output page 180, asshown in FIG. 4 c.

Referring now to FIG. 8 d, an example of an “Adding Deal Criteria” inputscreen 360 is depicted. The seller number 331, the product type 332 andthe current deal number 333 are automatically generated and display onan input screen 360. The seller 20 can enter a criteria name in the“Enter Criteria Name” box 362. The seller can then choose whether thecriteria are a seller type or a seller additional criteria type from afirst scroll down menu 364. The seller 20 chooses a criteria type from asecond scroll down menu 366 and the criteria units in a third scrolldown menu 368. The seller can submit these new criteria for the currentdeal by clicking on the “Submit New Criteria for Current Deal” button370 or add the new criteria for the product deals by clicking on the“Submit New Criteria for All Product Deals” button 372. The seller 20may at any time review the buyer inputted criteria submitted by thebuyer 15 that is not in any of the seller's deals by clicking on the“Review Buyer Inputted Criteria” button 376. The seller 20 can reviewthis list to determine whether or not the seller 20 would like to addthese criteria to the present deal or deals such that they are in accordwith buyer needs. The seller 20 may also review the criteria that areoffered by other sellers, but not the current seller, by clicking on a“Review Other Seller Criteria” button 378. This will help the sellerkeep current on what the other seller's selling criteria are beingutilized for matching to the buyer's buying criteria to satisfy thecurrent market demands.

If the seller would like to return to the “Create or Modify Deal” screen275 the seller 20 can click on the “Cancel” button at any time.Furthermore, if the seller 20 simply desires to re-perform the search,the seller 20 at any time is able to return back to a previous screenselecting the “back” function available using an Internet browser suchas, for example, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc.Additionally, a hyperlink to various screens, such as the search screen,preferably is provided on each web page.

Proceeding now to FIG. 9, the operations of the processor 100 of thecentral server 25 in handling sellers 20 is depicted. In particular, theprocessor 100 at 400 determines whether a seller 20 is registered or notbased on which hyperlink 130, 140 (FIG. 3) the seller 20 selects. If theseller 20 selects hyperlink 140 indicating that the seller is notregistered, the processor 100 proceeds to 405. At 405, the processor 100provides the seller 20 with a seller's registration form 408 (FIG. 10)to fill out. The registration form 408 is similar to registration form208 for the buyer 20 and allows the seller 20 to select a preferred userID and password. Once completed, the processor 100 proceeds to 410 wherethe seller 20 is requested to submit a credit card application so thatcosts and fees associated with conducting business may be directlybilled to the seller's credit card. As discussed above, the credit cardapproval process can be performed by a third party vendor accessible viaa hyperlink.

Once the credit card application is submitted by the seller 20, theprocessor 100 proceeds to 415 where the processor 100 determines if thecredit card application has been approved. If the credit cardapplication has not been approved, the processor 100 proceeds to 420where the seller 20 is informed that the credit card application has notbeen approved. The seller 20 can be provided with a customer servicetelephone number so that the seller 20 may optionally set up the accountin a different fashion. If, however, at 415 the credit card applicationis accepted, the processor 100 proceeds to 425 where seller informationis stored in a seller database 427 (FIG. 11). Then, at 430, theprocessor 100 is configured to provide the seller 20 with the newlyissued credit card number so that the seller 20 is able to open deals.Further, the processor 100 is configured to provide a report to a systemadministrator, who can send a confirmation copy of the seller'sinformation stored in the seller's database to the seller 20. Thiscompletes the seller's registration process.

However, if at 400 a seller has already registered, the seller 20 maylogin as a registered user by selecting the registered user hyperlink130 (FIG. 3). Once selected, the processor 100, at 435 prompts theseller 20 to enter their user ID and password. Upon input of the user IDand password, the processor 100 proceeds to 440 where the processor 100verifies a valid user ID and password have been entered by comparisonwith the information stored in the seller database 427 (FIG. 11). If theuser ID and password entered by the seller 20 does not match any entryin the seller database 427, the processor 100 returns to 435 forre-entry of such information. If, however, at 440, a valid user ID andpassword are entered, the processor 100 proceeds to 445.

Upon successful entry of a user ID and password, the seller 20 isprovided with a seller option screen 275 as shown in FIG. 8 a. Forexample, the seller 20 may decide to open a new deal 182 or the seller20 may decide to view a current deal 182 for one of a number of goods orservices offered by the seller 20 or review a list of buyer inputtedcriteria. Accordingly, if at 445, the processor 100 determines that theseller 20 desires to open new deal 182 for a selected product, theprocessor 100 proceeds to 460.

At 460, the processor 100 requests that the seller 20 enter the seller'sselling criteria, so that the system can build a seller's productoffering criteria input screen, at 465. For example, in the presentaspect the product agreed upon seller criteria is the volume range ofthe order and the price per pound of the order, the seller's sellingcriteria includes the delivery time and warranty with quality to beadded next, and the seller additional criteria is that the buyer pay thecost of shipping the goods. As discussed above, the processor 100utilizes the information input from the seller 20 to display a seller'sproduct ordering input form 330.

At 465, the processor 100 request that the seller enter the limitsassociated with the seller's selling criteria chosen at 460, and thelist of buyer's entitled to be offered the present deal. The informationis entered and submitted to form a deal. The processor 100 uses thisinformation to match buying and ordering criteria of the buyer withselling and offering criteria of the seller, so that deals can becompleted in an expedited manner.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 9, if the seller 20 has not selected to opena new deal, the processor 100 determines, at 450, whether the seller 20has decided to modify an existing deal 182. In the present aspect of theinvention, the seller 20 is limited to modify those deals which theyhave opened. Accordingly, if the processor 100 determines that theseller does desire to modify a deal 182, the processor 100 provides theseller 20 with a list of deals 180 which the seller has opened. Uponselection of one of the deals 182, the processor 100 proceeds to 455where the deal 182 is displayed to the seller 20. If a deal 182 is notentered at 450, or at 455 and/or 460, the processor 100 returns to 445.

Buyer Sponsored DealRoom

Regarding FIG. 14, although the present invention has been largelydescribed within the context of a seller sponsored DealRoom (FIG. 13),it is to be appreciated that a buyer or buyers may sponsor a DealRoom toaggregate purchasing goods/services from a plurality of sellers. Forexample, a large corporate buyer may employ the present invention tocreate a DealRoom where a plurality of sellers may assemble to aggregateselling of specific goods and/or services that the buyer desires. Such atransaction facilitates the buyer satisfying purchase requirements inone forum and to coordinate deliver of goods/services. Furthermore, sucha system facilitates sellers making sales to the buyer, which but forthe sellers being able to aggregate the buyer may not have dealt withthe individual seller because of insufficient capacity to meet thebuyers' needs. The subject specification describes exemplary systems andinterfaces for implementing the subject invention, and therefore furtherdiscussion thereto is omitted for sake of brevity. However, it is to beappreciated that one skilled in the art based on the above discussionregarding seller sponsored DealRooms/transactions could apply suchteachings to implement the aforementioned buyer sponsoredDealRoom/transaction.

Multiple Buyer and Multiple Seller Sponsored DealRoom/Transaction

Regarding FIG. 15, although the present invention has been largelydescribed within the context of a seller sponsored DealRoom/transaction,it is to be appreciated that buyers and sellers may concurrently sponsora deal room/transaction to aggregate selling of and purchasing ofgoods/services by a plurality of sellers and buyers respectively. Forexample, a multiple sellers and buyers may employ the present inventionto create a DealRoom/transaction forum where a plurality of sellers andbuyers may assemble to aggregate selling and buying of specific goodsand/or services that the sellers which to sell and the buyers desire topurchase. Such a transaction forum creates great efficiencies withrespect to purchase price and/or selling quantity of particulargoods/services. For example, in such a forum dedicated to the sellingand purchasing of a specific product/service, sellers can assemble tocompete for the sale of their respective product/service, which leads topricing efficiencies. Buyers can assemble in such a forum to aggregatebuying power in order to negotiate good prices and close deals. Sellerson the other hand may also aggregate to meet the needs of a large buyingblock. The subject specification describes exemplary systems andinterfaces for implementing the subject invention, and therefore furtherdiscussion thereto is omitted for sake of brevity. However, it is to beappreciated that one skilled in the art based on the above discussionregarding seller sponsored DealRooms/transactions could apply suchteachings to implement the aforementioned buyer sponsoredDealRoom/transaction.

OpenOffer Management System

One alternative aspect of the present invention affords for creating,altering and/or managing OpenOffer sheets on more than one PrivateDealRoom at the same time.

This aspect of the invention (preferably implemented via software)allows the company completing an OpenOffer Sheet to select those privateDealRooms it wishes to submit the OpenOffer sheet. For example, a firstOpenOffer sheet with one price and volume schedule may be automaticallysubmitted to DealRoom #1 and #2. A second OpenOffer sheet can besubmitted for the same product with different price points and volumeschedules to DealRoom #3. The system allows a supplier to track anynumber of DealRooms and label a customer accordingly. The supplier maycreate subsets of private DealRooms at any time through grouping theDealRooms and saving them with a different name (e.g., mid-sizecompanies, tier one, large company). This allows the supplier thereal-time ability to segment all or some customers according to anynumber of criteria and present current pricing and capacity information.Therefore, the system is a tool for creating any number of pricingconfigurations among different products and updating those prices andvolumes in a moment's notice among the selected DealRooms.

A company is able to see a pricing summary by product type acrossDealRooms. For example, the ability to select a product category andhave the system return a list of the prices submitted for each alongwith the current price and the lowest price to be achieved. This allowsfor the company to track pricing strategy across DealRooms. Theinformation can be reviewed in any number of configurations: pie charts,bar charts, scatter charts, etc. and any subsets of DealRooms.Statistical numbers are also available including totals, averages, etc.

The system also provides a running list of buyers that have access toDealRooms supported by the company. This is done through a search filein that private DealRoom and saved to the master management system.Every DealRoom has a different URL such as WCeWinWin.com orADeWinWin.com with the requisite security. The system is also capable ofperforming a search by entering the customer name which then providesthe proper DealRoom and password. Changes can be made by the supplier.

An OpenOffer Sheet can be posted on a regular interval and/or programmedto reset the offer with a rolling date (e.g., daily, weekly, bi-weekly,monthly) on master and individual sites. In addition, a component(s) ofthe OpenOffer Sheet can be altered and saved under a different name. Forexample, if a product price is selected to stay constant while the shipdate changes to the next business day on a regular interval, thatOpenOffer sheet can be saved and posted. The iteration will change withthe passing of time. Likewise, OpenOffer sheets can be frozen with orwithout intervals with a freeze command.

OpenOffer sheets can also be retracted. This feature will pull offersfrom all DealRooms or any combination of DealRooms selected by thesupplier. A product name and identification number can be accessed; anda retract or recall feature can be engaged. In the event that ordershave been placed within the OpenOffer sheets, the supplier can fulfillthe order as scheduled and/or notify the buyer(s) that the order hasbeen cancelled.

The supplier can also list and search OpenOffer's that have no orders.This is done with a quick search that will pull up the OpenOffer's,DealRoom URL, projected ship date, etc. The master list can be perusedand when highlighted, the supplier has the option of modifying theinformation accordingly and then post again within the specifiedDealRooms. Such changes as price, volumes, ship dates, close dates, etc.can be made and the new DealRooms submitted.

An online DealRoom can be created by a supplier instantly, if desired.The supplier can highlight a “Create New DealRoom” option and a roomidentification number and base URL for the new DealRoom is created. Thesupplier can then be asked to name the URL with up to a certain numberof digits. Once the name and an administrator's password is selected,the new DealRoom is available. Additional information including contactname, email address of contact, etc. can be automatically recognizedbased on a supplier user name, or the supplier may be asked to providesuch information.

A private online DealRoom can be created for invited buyers. The invitedbuyers are notified of the opening of the DealRoom and given a usernameand password to remain anonymous. Preferred customers can also be givenspecial pseudonyms, so that they can travel from DealRoom to DealRoom,while maintaining anonymity from reports generated by other suppliersand buyers utilizing the OpenOffer Management system. The privateDealRooms invitations can be sent automatically via e-mail, instantmessage, etc.

A company can create a private DealRoom online, without revealing theiridentity. The supplier can enter a pseudonym and basic company criteria,such as the type of company (e.g. fortune 500, midsize, small), qualityranking, type of business (e.g., specialized, conglomerate), etc. Thecompany can then track purchases and demand utilizing the pseudonym. TheDealRoom can be configured to be offered to a specified group, such asdistributors or preferred customers, or the general public as a blindoffer. The deal room can be configured as a single order deal or as atime specified deal that allows buyers to aggregate in and reduce theprice.

Transaction fees can be requested in real-time across one or moreDealRooms. A fee structure is applied for customers based on the numberof single transactions (e.g., completion of OpenOffer sheet bycustomer). Accordingly, a transactional figure is calculated fordetermining an online transactional fee.

Demand Aggregator System

The demand aggregator can capture and/or collate current and/orhistorical orders from OpenOffer sheets.

An OpenOffer Request Form allows a buyer on the system to alertsuppliers of the product needed, category, quantity and when shipment isrequired. This allows the suppliers to respond with OpenOffer Sheetsthat match this need. The alert is by e-mail to the designated addressgiven by the supplier. The buyer can request a private deal room, sothat the identity of the buyer remains anonymous. The buyer can providea pseudonym or an email address, so that the supplier can notify thebuyer or post a message to the buyer.

An OpenOffer Request Summary is available by product category. Forinstance, the supplier may wish to aggregate requests from all DealRoomsby product category. In this way, the supplier may see the level ofdemand required by its buyers in advance of placing an OpenOffer for theproduct. This feature can be accessed in real-time. An icon can beclicked to show the summary of products being requested and pertinentdata related to shipments. Excess capacity can be priced to preferredcustomers.

The demand aggregator can also compare current orders for a product on atimeline with the aggregated volume received from OpenOffer Requests forthe same product and requested ship dates is available. This aggregationand comparison allows the supplier to better estimate productionestimates and forecasts. This allows for better planned production andthe ability to evaluate the cost savings in terms of labor, material,production runs, etc. which, in turn, allows the supplier to estimatethe savings and prepare the appropriate price and volume points.

A search engine system is included for searching for deals overdifferent supplier sites including the particular product requested.

Other information can be included in the system, such as:

-   -   Total capacity posted by product, total, timeline, etc.    -   Total number of orders placed by product, total, timeline, etc.    -   % of capacity remaining by each product category measured over        the timeline    -   Average price per product by product category, by DealRoom, by        customer, etc.    -   Historical timeline of product ordered, average price, breakdown        by DealRoom    -   Historical review of total capacity listed by product that went        unpurchased    -   Historical review of total orders over days, weeks, months,        quarters, etc.    -   Chart of top customers for each product line    -   Projected sales taking historic information by product and        extrapolating over time by weeks, months, etc.    -   Trend analysis of product mix over periods of time    -   Evaluation of a volume of unpurchased product over a        predetermined time period and when such capacity will be taken        off market (e.g., termination of specials from completed        OpenOffer Sheets with close dates)

Private Buyer DealRoom Management System

A private buyer DealRoom management system allows a buyer to reviewproduct summaries and order information in a plurality of ways on thesystem based on DealRoom transactions. Such transactions can include:

-   -   Total orders placed by product, group, average, etc.    -   Total share by product type for each supplier-measured over        days, weeks, months, etc.    -   Summary of supplier ranking by product category    -   Summary of current pricing information by product category    -   Historical review of total orders over days, weeks, months,        quarters, etc.    -   Projected orders for each product taking historic information        and extrapolating over time by weeks, months, etc.    -   Trend analysis of product mix over periods of time    -   This trend analysis is available on the site for suppliers to        review in order to complete OpenOffer Sheets with relevant        volumes    -   Ability to compare percentage of products delivered on-time by        product category over days, weeks, months, etc.    -   Ability to compare percentage of products that meet quality        criteria    -   Ability to compare percentage of product suppliers with good        customer service    -   Ability to trend the price for a product over time: days,        months, quarters, years    -   Ability to profile a supplier over any period of time in price,        quality, customer service, and deliver with a line chart showing        trends to those suppliers via e-mail    -   Ability to profile suppliers of a similar product in such a way        to compare performance over time    -   Ability to provide access for suppliers to see relative        performance of their company versus other companies in the same        category    -   The function of setting minimum performance rankings for        suppliers and when suppliers fail to meet these standards, the        buyer is notified of—the buyer has the option of having an icon        to click which will list those suppliers who are in jeopardy        along with a brief order summary and ranking totals    -   Ability to send to new suppliers via e-mail    -   Ability to review the number of orders placed online and the        fees associated therewith

Pre-Programmed Search Agents

A buyer can have pre-programmed search agents with preset queries,requests, order execution rights and limitations, and a myriad otherinstructions listed in the various other applications described herein.Additionally, there can be an associated Master Registration Formassociated with the agent, which gives the buyer agent potential accessto appropriate DealRooms. The buyer agent can have an embedded accesscode, which, if access is granted by the supplier, will permit the buyeragent to access the offer information. The buyer agent may have accessto multiple DealRooms simultaneously. Through this arrangement, thebuyer agent and the seller agent may interact to process the order. Forexample, the buyer agent might ask: “Can Product A be delivered on the25th instead of the 30th for the same price?” The seller agent'sresponse will be based on information programmed into its negotiatingparameters, for example, “There is a 0.005% carrying cost added to theprice for the requested change.” This process is iterative based on thepre-programmed parameters of the agents.

The buyer agent can simultaneously negotiate with multiple seller agentsfrom multiple DealRooms and collate information from various suppliers.The collated information is then displayed for the buyer's reviewaccording to display preferences preset in the agent's display protocol.For example, information can be ranked according to lowest price,earliest ship date, longest warranty, or any number of other criteria.Furthermore, criteria can be combined and or weighted to suit thebuyer's particular needs at any given time.

The agent can also be provided with purchase rights. For example, ifpredetermined criteria are met, an order will be processed, includingissuance of a purchase order number, confirmation notification, etc.Such information is valuable to the seller in that the agent isrecognized as an agent having pre-programmed authority to purchaserather than an agent that is merely gathering information, thuspermitting the seller to place higher priority in this particular agent.

The supplier can access interactions with buyer agents and the progressthereof. This information can be displayed, for example, on thesupplier's computer screen, personal digital assistant, fax machine,etc. and will indicate early trends (for example, price and volume ofeach interaction) as wells as other data beneficial to the supplier'sevaluation of potential modifications to the seller agent's protocol.

With access requests provided by a buyer and access rights given by asupplier, the system immediately allows for higher-level interactionsbetween buyer and seller in private and secure locations. In thesesecure locations, the agents can interact proceed with the “buy-no-buy”decision. Similarly, a supplier may initiate the process with a buyer bysending a notice to the buyer's computer, personal digital assistant,fax, etc. Buyer has the ability to agree to view the offer, register,submit a profile, program the buyer agent via the questions provided bythe seller, etc.

The agents are capable of using a variety of communication languages.The methodology of the system includes interactions involving JAVA, XML,etc., for additional information pertaining to the particulars of theoffer, the buyer or seller, the product, etc.

Trend Analysis System

This aspect of the present invention (preferably implemented viasoftware) captures and collates current and/or historical orders fromOpenOffer and/or OpenOffer Request sheets.

The trend analysis system aggregates patterns of buyers in purchases anddemands. The trend analysis system also aggregates patterns of suppliersin offers and performance criteria to form a variety of trend analysisreports. The system also allows analysis of buyers to facilitate buyingblocks for buyers and to assist suppliers in adjustment of their dealroom offers. The trend analysis system also provides reports onanonymous buyers and sellers via a pseudonym. The system can communicatebetween websites to raffl (suppliers based on different criteria. Thesystem can also establish transactional profiles based on industries,geographical location and time periods. The various trend analyses canbe provided in different formats (e.g. pie charts, time lines, etc.).The trend analysis system can be utilized to identify various problemswith buyer OpenOffer Request trends and supplier OpenOffer trends andcommunicated back to the buyers and/or suppliers.

Market Share System Reports

This aspect of the present invention (preferably implemented bysoftware) is capable of providing a file for suppliers to see therelative market share they have for a single product versus theircompetition. Substantially every item but price can be reviewed by thesupplier online with the same functionality as the Private BuyerDealRoom Management System.

OpenOffer Merge File

For the buyer, the ability to place an order on any sponsored site andafter placing the order, have the option to present the order in an ASCIII, comma delimited file that will be sent to a specified e-mail accountautomatically. The icon ASCI II will be available for the supplier tohit at the beginning of the purchasing process which will coverpurchases made on that site. The ASCI II information will be posted tothe e-mail address indicated by the buyer. This feature will also beincluded as a default set-up under MyeWinWin. This feature will then beengaged whenever a buyer has set up this default and will travel withthe buyer from the site to the sponsor site. MyeWinWin is then activatedwhenever the buyer places an order on the sponsor site. FIG. 12 is aschematic illustration of an ordering process.

Dynamic Pricing Model

The previous activity of the buyer on a site is recorded on suchcriteria as amount of cancelled orders (as expressed by a number of %),the track record of on-time payment, etc. until a ranking is assigned tothe buyer either manually or by default criteria set by themanufacturer. For instance, a buyer with a 100% rate of taking receiptof orders online and 100% of paying within 30 days would be assigned ahigh value such as AA When this buyer returned to the site and entered apassword, the AA rating would be denoted and a series of value-addedservices would be made available to that buyer such as a 5% discount forplacing an aggregated order, special offers such as a rebate of x amountwhen the buyer is the first to place an order in the aggregatedOpenOffer, etc.

In addition, a dynamic price can be assigned to the ranking of a buyer.For instance, buyers can be ranked in various groups such as AA, BB, orCC based on their past history. The AA can be tied to an automatic 5%discount whereby aggregated prices change automatically when thepassword of that company is entered. A company with a CC ranking couldactually see a 5% premium when they visit the same site, simply based onthe password and the company's past performance. The buyer that has ahistory of canceling may carry a higher cost to the supplier . . . thiscost, in turn, can be programmed into that particular buyer's experienceon their site. In this way, additional DealRooms may not be required, asthe same DealRoom will take on the characteristics of that buyer.

The rating of a buyer on one particular DealRoom can be aggregated andaveraged along with the DealRooms of other suppliers to develop anaccurate “buyer profile.” This profile can be accessed by supplier todetermine which customers visit the supplier's DealRoom and what pricesthey eventually see. For example, price range could be displayed in asingle box, showing the buyer a potential price based on variousfactors, such as added buyer volume for a given ship date, lower rawmaterial costs, etc. The box can show the “next” price in one area andthe potential “final” price in another, employing any number of visualqueues to emphasize the two prices and the difference between them. Thisdynamic price option can be set by the supplier or his agent orrequested by the buyer or his agent.

Not Exceed Pricing Option

A supplier can list as an option for certain customers a NOT TO EXCEEDoption. In this case, a buyer has already negotiated a NOT TO EXCEEDprice through a blanket contract for a set period of time (e.g. oneyear). The NTE tag along with the set price is programmed into the sitethrough a series of fields. The buyer places orders on the aggregatedschedule at any time. If the eventual price is below the NTE price, theorder is executed at the lower price. If the eventual price is above theNTE price, the buyer is guaranteed that the highest price paid will bethe NTE price. The benefits are as follows: the buyer is capable of onlybettering the price negotiated at the beginning of the year, the buyergains the advantage of playing regional prices to their advantage, andthe supplier can secure a year-long contract to baseload the businesswhile adding value for this prime customer.

Baseload Option

The baseload option status is conferred upon a buyer. In this case, thesupplier negotiates a better price at the onset of the year in exchangefor guaranteed acceptance of product orders throughout the year by thebuyer. Once the buyer accepts shipment over the course of the year onpre-determined dates, the supplier can then post planned inventory inadvance based on this baseloaded business. For instance, if the buyeragrees to accept shipment of 100 racks of glass the first week of everymonth for the next six months, the supplier then posts the availabilityof an additional 50 racks of the same glass for the same week. Theexisting of the original buyer provides a base that absorbs much of thefixed costs associated with the schedule while the incremental 50 racksrepresents proper capacity utilization at much higher profit margins.

The schedule can be posted in advance at prices that create an incentivefor additional orders from other buyers on the site. A NTE price optioncan also be given to this supplier.

Show Status

This status can be conferred on a buyer as an incentive for the buyer toplace orders early in the cycle of a product. A point system can beapplied for the buyer. For every time a buyer is the first company toplace an order in an OpenOffer Sheet, points can be accrued that resultin a year-end rebate or some other incentive. For instance, 5 pointsassigned to every time the company is the first to order in an OpenOffersheet applies towards the points needed by the end of the year to securea discount. Such an incentive creates customer loyalty and rewards abuyer beyond the current system of discounts. Likewise, a rating systemapplied to non-cancellation or proper payment could further reinforcethis behavior.

Real-Time Price Update Screen

A screen setting is available that allows a buyer to post a series ofproduct categories in a DealRoom with the current price setting and theclose date. The buyer is able to check on a real-time basis the currentprice of clear glass by either a supplier or group of suppliers, and therespective volume still available with the close date. A productexchange is available to the buyer on an as-needed and customized basis.Likewise, the supplier can have a screen that shows the current pricesof OpenOffers across DealRooms and additional information.

Scheduled Production by Product Category

The supplier is capable of engaging a feature in the system toaggregate, by product category, the total amount of product that hasbeen ordered, when it is due to ship and the remaining amount of productthat is still available. By inputting the amount of available inventoryof the product on site, the supplier is able to see the productionschedule for the product over the next duration of a week, month,quarter or year. This schedule can be viewed in a graph form with totalcapacity acting as the backdrop to total production currently booked.The system is capable of incorporating information from the supplier'sMRP system in order to determine the total capacity available. Also, afield of total capacity per time period can be inserted. Now, the systemcan return an OpenOffer sheet automatically with the amount of volumeavailable. The supplier can “split” the product offering among a coupleof different OpenOffer Sheets and DealRooms. The system can also alertthe supplier of the DealRoom with the highest price, historically, andwhere the excess volume should be placed.

Demand Forecast System

The buyer and supplier both have access to a historical purchase by aproduct category. The buyer can review historic product demand schedulesand request that the DFS take over. The Demand Forecast System takes thepreceding history and conducts an average, extrapolating into the futurethe anticipated demand. This demand is automatically placed intoOpenOffer sheets. The OpenOffer sheets can be sent to the suppliers forthat product category. The supplier simply assigns a price schedulebased on the volume and submits the form to the DealRoom. The processsaves the supplier and buyer from calculating or requesting forecasteddemand manually.

Reactive Pricing Model

A reactive pricing model can be provided which is based on orders for atleast one product. In this case, the supplier has the option of loweringa price automatically based on market activity. A supplier of clearglass has set a price and volume schedule. If the activity of the siteis such that multiple glass orders have been placed, and the data showsuch orders have taken place with other suppliers of the same product,registered discounts may be triggered by such activity automatically ifpre-determined by the supplier. No pricing information is shared. Ratherit is simply based on the volume of product. The supplier may come inwith pricing starting at $0.29 per square foot of glass. If the triggerpoint is reached with enough orders being placed with other suppliers,the price is dropped to a predetermined schedule already determined bythe supplier. Conversely, the price can be set to increase if activityis skewed too heavily to the supplier in question. In this case, iforders are coming in sooner than anticipated the supplier has the optionto pull the pricing schedule automatically (dropping current orders totheir lowest point or not) and resubmit the pricing at a differentschedule predetermined by the supplier.

Additionally, the supplier can program the price feature to engage overseveral DealRooms. For instance, assuming the glass price in oneDealRoom is priced higher and is being accepted by the customer, thesystem will automatically alert the supplier of this happening andsuggest additional volume be placed in that room. The program could alsoallow for the supplier to automatically post more products, say aspecified amount, to the DealRoom with the highest price.

Additional criteria can be added to this analysis. Assuming a DealRoomprofile of customers who accept the order on time, pay in a timelymanner, and pay a higher price than other DealRooms would automaticallybe listed as the first customers to receive the next available productvolume.

Alternatively, or additionally, another reactive pricing model can beprovided which is based on an amount of time left in an offer. A timedoffer can be preset with the supplier presetting dynamic pricing as thetime elapses on an OpenOffer sheet. Assuming no one has placed an orderor if available quantities are still available, the price can beprogrammed to drop by a percentage throughout the remainder of the biduntil a hidden price point is reached. The buyers are encouraged toplace their orders accordingly until the market price has beenestablished.

CRM Package

Information on buyer and prospective buyers are loaded into a databasethat can include buyer information, such as:

Individual name

Company name and address

Email address

Phone number

Cell number

Products purchased

Volumes

Time of purchase

Other aspects of purchasing can also be included, such as, timespurchased, number of visits before order, price point at first visit,second visit, products ordered, etc.

The record can also be included information from the supplier, such as:

Whether a prospective buyer generally pays on time (yes or no, orranking applied, rating, etc.)

What percentage of business a prospective buyer gives a supplier(whether there is potential to get more business? If yes, then buyerjoins another group segmented by the supplier)

Special offers to buyers, such as, discounts and/or coupons, which maybe in the form of a % off the curve or a new curve if buyer agrees toplace an order during this visit.

The cost to service customers can vary according to a variety offactors. One of which is “when” the order is placed. For example, thesooner an order is placed, the more beneficial it is to the supplierwith the ability to plan production to reduce costs of subsequentorders. The earlier an order is placed and the larger the amount, themore value may be created.

Incentive to Place Orders Sooner

One example of motivating buyers to place orders sooner involves aninitial offering of lower curves to a group of buyers. The curve (orcurves) can “change” according to a pre-determined set of criteria. Forinstance, buyer A sees a curve as shown in FIG. 16. As orders areplaced, the curve can be constant for that group of buyers, or a lowertier can change. This can be specified in advance to the buyers by thesupplier.

However, as shown in FIG. 17, subsequent buyers may see a differentcurve for the same product with any number of variations (e.g., firstprice is different, price breaks vary, lower price is changed). Thissystem rewards the buyers willing to place an order earlier and lets thesupplier plan the production run in advance.

The CRM package records information for each buyer so that custom curvescan be set-up by the supplier. For instance, a buyer has ordered productA three times over the past six months. The first order was placed whenthe product price was $22, the second when it was $20 and the third whenit was $20 again. The final price received was $17, $16 and $15respectively. The next curve the buyer may see will be set automaticallybased on the supplier's specification. Examples of such specificationsinclude:

-   -   Past price average over x period of time (number of orders,        period of time, etc.) will be the first, middle or last price        seen as determined by the supplier    -   First price point will be x % above the last order price placed    -   Last price received (curve bottom is set x % below that price,        initial price is set at x % above the curve top).    -   Past price first view    -   Past price first order

The CRM package can evaluate buyer patterns and tendencies and determinethe optimal price curve for each buyer, group of buyers, sub-segment ofbuyers, etc. Such curves will be created in rapid succession wheneverthis tool is constructed and filled out by the supplier for each buyer.Curves will be created around a particular buyer's “experiences” onlinewhatever they may.

A supplier may also designate an instant “Not to Exceed” price based oncertain buyers going online. For instance, in the previous example buyerA may go online and be offered a price somewhere in the middle of thecurve as a “Not to Exceed” $18 dollars. In which case, the buyer will beguaranteed that price at a maximum with the potential to get a betterprice as the volume increases. These alerts can be customized based onthe data collected from that buyer and set into the software to appearon selected products and offers. These can also be sent to directly tothe buyers via software generated HTML updates and notices of the offer,sent to voice mail, personal digital assistants etc.

A buyer may also be given the special offer of “buy now that the offerhas closed and receive an additional 2% of the total price” to helpfacilitate more sales. Other specials can include: “order now andreceive free shipping,” “5% off the next order or this order,” “freestorage for x number of days,” etc.

The CRM software can record every offer ever made to a buyer anddocument which offer(s) was successful. This information can be analyzedfor buyer patterns and provide input on future curves/new buyersegments, etc. For instance, buyers that ordered at a price point of $20were 80% more likely to add to the order when free shipping wasincluded.

Likewise, data from online questionnaires can be tabulated and presentedas part of the buyer profile and used in future offers. A buyer whostates they like the free shipping feature can be segmented into a groupin which that offer is made available; the new price curve may reflect asurcharge for such feature.

Conversely, buyers who like the no-cost storage for 30 days could see adifferent curve automatically with that a part of the offer. In thisway, the buyer's behavior and input will be used to automaticallypresent curves that reflect their wants and/or needs.

Option to Sell Back to the Supplier

Buyers may also buy “futures” of a product. For instance, a group offermay be presented. The buyer can place the order for X quantity. Thesupplier has the right to “buy back” the product from the buyer ifdesired. The buyer may be given a lower price for this option. Thus, thebuyer can take the product for predetermined period of time, and thesupplier may buy back the product at a same (or different) price ifdesired.

Buyer Can Select Price Curves

A supplier can post three curves for the same product and a buyer canselect which price curve will be applied to a particular product byaccepting different terms and conditions associated with each curve(payment due at time of order).

Offers May Be Personalized

Buyers can receive personalized offers, such as, place order now, placeorder on your next visit, place order within x period of time, add toyour initial order and receive X % more off this purchase or receive adeeper discount curve.

One-Click Add to Initial Order

A buyer can have the ability add to a previous order without going backto site. An HTML (voice mail, personal digital assistant, cell phone,etc.) can be generated and sent to the buyer showing the price curve andthe total volume ordered. Based on this knowledge, the buyer is able toclick on the HTML and directly be sent to the curve's order form (orhave fields already presented there) and add to the initial order. Thesystem would update the order automatically, post the new volume on thepurchase order and update the curve at the same time.

Likewise, special offers can be delivered via this same medium. Forinstance, a special offer for a buyer to order now and immediatelyreceive 3% off the price of the product regardless of any more ordersbeing placed would allow a buyer to add to the order.

Extend Offer

A supplier can select an icon that opens a price curve's close date. Anautomatic message can be generated within a specified period of time (xdays before close, a few hours before close, etc.) that asks thesupplier if the offer should be extended for x hours, days, etc. Thesupplier can click on an icon and a field appears in which the supplierselects an acceptable time period. An email may then generate anautomatic alert letting buyers know of this opportunity.

This feature can also be sent to those buyers listed in the CRM programthat have or have NOT visited the offer. The curve can be sent to thegroup of buyers with the extension and price. A special offer can beincluded as well that offers these buyers an extra incentive to place anorder. Since the buyers are registered, they can agree to place an orderfrom the HTML notice if they have engaged this feature on their end.

Changes in minimum order quantities can also be done via a notificationsystem. The supplier may specify a certain minimum for an offer. Once itis reached, a notice can go out which changes the minimum for futurepurchases. Also, once a minimum quantity is reached, the supplier canset the program to change the price curve. Future buyers may seedifferent starting, middle and ending price figures.

Spot Curves

A supplier can create spot curves, as shown in FIG. 18. This feature canbe used when inventory is high and certain products must be moved. Inthis case, an offer can be extended for a period of time. A buyer maycome in and place an order for the product and then take the productimmediately or along the period assigned. The final price will bedetermined at the end of the order period, which may come after theproduct is already at the buyer's location. Spot curves can be sent tobuyers via the CRM package and offer buyers another incentive to placean order immediately.

The buyer also has the ability to change the accept date. The systemwill calculate the new price based on the underlying carrying cost. Analert will go out to the buyer (he can request to be notified within aperiod of time).

For instance, a buyer has agreed to purchase 20 tons of steel. Hespecifies 10 tons to be delivered on the 10th and the other 10 tons tobe delivered on the 30th. The total order is then calculated based onwhat surcharge has been placed on the offer by the supplier (thesurcharge may also be $0). As more buyers order, the price dropsaccording to the curve. A ship location may also be identified tospecify if the first 10 tons need to be delivered to a certain locationand the second 10 tons to a different location. A ship icon can be usedto present the transportation costs and a total icon can be used topresent the total costs to the buyer.

Supplier can Offer Products Accordingly:

A supplier can offer products according to a specific date range (e.g.,week) or by a particular date. A buyer could have the option of choosingan icon for a specific date to have delivery made. The supplier can addthe costs per day or even per hour, on each ship date. The buyer getsthe benefit of a group purchase with receipt at the given time. If thebuyer needs to change the ship date, he can do so by clicking on “changeship date.” The quantities ordered, the shipping location, the ordernumber, the date of delivery, etc. can be listed and a Modify button canbe clicked to change the quantities shipped and the dates. If the changeis outside of a predetermined range, a cost may be levied. If the datespecified is in such a range that carries a surcharge, then the buyerwould be billed the extra cost (a calculation can be set by the measuredquantity such as tons and the carrying cost per day associated with thatunit). This is an optional feature that can be turned on or offdependent upon the supplier and what “groups” of buyers have thisfeature engaged.

Also, this feature can be turned off during the offer and an HTML can besent to buyers letting them know the order can be placed and they willnot be charged for storage up until x date. This is a semi-automatic orautomatic feature that is embedded in the software.

A shipping icon can flash once an order has been placed asking the buyerif they would like to arrange for shipping at this time. The currentprice per mile or other form of pricing can be presented.

Change Order

A buyer can click on an icon that directs them to his/her order page inwhich the buyer can change the options of the product selected. Forexample, a buyer may place an initial order for 50,000 units withoutspecifying any or all of the options and/or details associated with theproduct. Later, the buyer can return and specify one or more of theoptions, ship dates, etc. for the products. There may or may not be acharge for this feature.

Buyer's Ability to Change Quantity

This feature allows a buyer to change a total quantity ordered. Thecurve may not change for the group of buyers who already ordered. Thisevent, however, could trigger changes in slope, prices, quantitiesavailable, etc. for the other curves. A surcharge may be levied or notbased on the supplier's decision.

Curve Sets Automatically

A first price for a product may be $25 and a final price for the productmay be $15. The software allows a supplier to define such prices alongwith a volume and a price curve can automatically calculates any pricebreaks. The supplier can specify a number of breaks that should becalculated, such as 2 or 3. Specify a shallow initial curve, and thecurve automatically is set up, or specify a deeper curve, and the curveis presented.

“Every Order Reduces the Price” Curve

The uniqueness of this curve is that with every minimum order (if set),the price drops according to the curve. For instance, the supplier setsthe top and bottom prices along with the volume. As every order isplaced, the curve automatically reflects the current price (e.g.—couldbe in dollars, cents). Regardless, every order reduces the final price.

The slope can also change to reflect a deeper curve at the beginning,and then shallow out at the end. A supplier specifies the type of curve(an icon with different slopes can be presented and the supplier simplyhas to click on the slope of choice and the prices will calculateautomatically). The curve is superior in many ways because the buyersdon't need a larger incremental volume to be reached before receiving alower price.

This curve can also be introduced into a regular curve. The initialcurve starts out with segments. Buyers can be notified via HTML that theoffer has been modified so that every order will drop the price. Aminimum can also be changed. Regardless, the value to the buyers is theability to add to their initial order and know that every unit willreduce their price even more.

Multiple curves can be linked and de-linked at will by the supplier.

Price Break Change

New price breaks can be introduced by a supplier with a single click ofthe icon. The price breaks are presented and the supplier can makechanges by clicking on the break in question, clicking on a % andclicking on reduce or increase, and pressing submit. All buyers,specified buyers, and/or those buyers who haven't seen price curve yet,etc. can be notified of the new price curve.

A buyer can have access to such changes made by a particular supplier.For instance, in a buyer's DealRoom the information on the supplier'schanges to curves, segments, prices, different buyers, etc. can beevaluated.

Buyer Information

The supplier can make available to the buyer the average price for aproduct over the last X number of offers, time, etc. The metrics can belisted in their entirety, or in some form as controlled by the supplier(or buyer in the BSDR). Probabilities would be calculated and shown tothe buyers: for instance there is a 70% probability the next price tierof x dollars will be reached with the margin of error displayed.

Alert System for Supplier

If a % of probability is not holding true on an order and time ispassing quickly, an alert system will let the supplier know of theoptions available (i.e. drop price curve, shill order, offer specialcurve to certain buyers (e.g. profile buyers).

Integration of CRM, ERP (Production Scheduling) and DAS

The following section describes how production scheduling, thesupplier's CRM package, DAS and DAS CRM can interact with one another tocreate a system, as shown in FIG. 19, that adds value for buyers andsuppliers.

For instance, a production run can be scheduled for six weeks from nowfor product B with options X and Y available. The total quantity to beproduced is x, and x+300 is the optimal run. The scheduler can indicatethis to the Product Manager/Sales Manager etc. with the notice: Do wepost the remaining quantity in the DealRoom? Or, the software will bewritten to automatically post these offers to the DealRoom with the sameship date, fob point, etc. populating accordingly to the buyers listedin the DealRoom/CRM package. Once the curve is created and confirmed(automatically or semi-automatically by the other party), the curve isposted in the DealRoom and the emails alerting the appropriate buyers(as listed in the CRM) and internal people (e.g. sales, inside customerservice, etc.) are sent. Multiple curves may be sent, linear offers maybe prepared (e.g. show curve 1 for 24 hours, if not takers post curve 2,etc.) or any number of other features may be included as listed in thispatent application and other applications. Further elaborating on thisfeature, the software can be configured with a series of if, theninstructions:

-   -   Post to first buyer—price curve A    -   Post to second set of buyers—price curve B    -   Post to third set of buyers—price curve C

The system allows for the supplier to change the sequence and the timebetween offers (first offer may be for A, if no orders or a certainthresholds not ordered then offer B and C concurrently with linkedcurves).

If an order were to be received online in the DealRoom, it wouldautomatically populate the production schedule with quantity ordered andother specifics and/or the order entry software. Likewise, if an ordercan in from the order entry system, the change would be reflected in theDealRoom (e.g. B capacity changed, minimums changed, curves changed,etc.). A “stimulus” event would impact the other parts of the system,and show up as a way to price out the available capacity. Likewise,cancelled orders/changes to production runs would immediately change theoffers and order entry data. If the total quantity has been ordered, anotice would be sent to production regarding additionalcapacity/quantity?

A change in the production schedule would also alert the Marketing/SalesManager of available capacity and the ability to add to the curve. Thecost curve for the product is also available for viewing. The managercan determine what price curve should be set. Also, customer feedback asto when they would like to receive their next order can be tabulated andsent to the production manager. The production manager can put into theschedule and agree to the total volume optimal in the run. The MarketingManager is notified, approving of the offer specifics and the buyers tobe contacted, and the order entry software is also contacted with theinformation and is shown on the screen for internal order takers/salesrepresentatives.

The data collected from the order entry system regarding the customerswho ordered, their volumes, prices, etc. can be shared and inputted intothe CRM package for data analysis. Buyer spending limits set in theorder entry system can be set and carried across to the DAS DealRoom. Acredit system/amount available can also be referenced in the softwareand indicated to the buyer and supplier. If the buyer attempts to exceedhis limit, a notice is given that he is doing so and needs to speak withthe supplier. The order has not impacted the curve at this time.

One Time Only Curves

A supplier is able to post curves that can be pulled at any time. Buyersare aware of these special offers and thus, may not choose to plan theirproduction on this availability. These are truly spot opportunities andmust be seized immediately. A guide can be provided to the buyers on thetypes of curves that can be presented.

Multi-Dimensional Curve

An example of a multi-dimensional curve is shown in FIG. 20. In thisexample, the buyer is encouraged to place an order sooner. Here, thebuyer can see the earlier the order, the better the curve and finalprice. This would work for seasonal products where a supplier couldtruly benefit from early orders. Again, these curves can be dynamic,adjusting as set by the supplier and by the demand ordered. If theproduct is scarce or pricing is unknown, the supplier may offer thesetype of curve, or variations of it, to entice buyers to provide apricing floor. Once done, then the other curves can be modified (higheror lower) and the earlier curve disappears for the rest of the buyersexcept for those that had already placed their orders.

A not to exceed option can also be placed in this model. The NTE means abuyer would never pay more than the existing price where they placed anorder, even if the curve was going up. And, a downward curve connectedat the time of purchase may be offered to give the buyer a betteropportunity to get a lower price.

Option to Buy

A buyer can purchase an option to buy the product during the offer. Forinstance, a fee would be paid by the buyer to hold a slot in theproduction schedule for X number of product A. The supplier may postcertain restrictions such as time of option to be exercised, etc. If theoption is exercised, then the price is confirmed. If the option is notexercised, the supplier has this capacity to sell but would collect afee from the buyer holding the option.

Seasonal Price Curve

Another example of a curve is shown in FIG. 21 and is one that is set inadvance and is time-sensitive. Offshoots tied to volume may or may notbe included at during the offer.

Option to have Production Schedule Underwritten by a Third Party

To set up a line and produce a product is a costly venture, especiallyif volume is not known or the run length is incomplete. Using DAS, asupplier will have the option for a third party to underwrite the costof the production run if certain volumes are not ordered. Based onarchival data, a third party can set the proper risk assessment and tiea financial figure to it. The software would record the figure and thevolume required.

For example, a run would be set-up and a final volume reached. If thevolume did not reach a certain threshold, then the third party would paythe supplier. If the volume did reach the threshold, then the thirdparty would keep the payment. Partial volumes could also dictate whatlevel of the payment would be released by the third party. In this way,a form of insurance could be purchased by the manufacturer producing thegood. These contracts would be available for common trading among thirdparties.

Other factors which may be used in this example are: post productionrun, ship date, FOB point, product, quantity, history, the right topurchase X of product A within a specified period . . . option price ofX. Buyers can also participate, being able to buy options to purchase Xamount of product.

Another variation on the price curve is shown with respect to FIG. 22.Here, if an order is placed at a certain point, every other order placedby buyer will drop the price by x %.

Software Option

Sales representatives/ISR's, when viewing both pricing curves (forgersand service centers), would like to know which curve they are viewing.Therefore, the software contains a labeling system including but notlimited to names and/or color coding of the curves.

Currently, sales representatives are only able to see the two differentcurves (Forgers and Service Centers). To broaden options, when arepresentative logs on, a drop down box on the first page (home page)can be employed to let him or her choose whether to see Service Centers,Forgers, or any other curve. In essence, they can be logged on as the“buyer” and be able to see exactly what the buyer is seeing.

Additionally, a “view all” option can be added. This option would allowsales representatives to see all the different curves. Optionally, anextra field can be added in the aggregated offers page. This field willprovide information regarding the company name, or name of the group ofbuyers that are able to see this specific curve.

Sales Simulation Software

The seller has the ability to program an agent for a “mock” purchasesession. Buyer agents are randomly set based on seller-providedinformation, and the interactions are set up and executed. Additionalinformation can be gleaned from various sources, including actual datacollected from earlier mock sessions with different suppliers andbuyers. The seller can learn how the process works, and, ultimately, theseller can determine the final volumes and price points that areachieved. The seller can then analyze this data and compare it with realcosts to determine whether the observed margins are acceptable. Withthis information, the seller may modify the offer or the seller agentprotocol.

Agent Analysis Software

After a critical number of interactions have taken place, the systemwill graph orders and non-orders for further analysis. For example, thesupplier may determine that price was a critical factor in 80% of theanalyzed order data, with 40% of the data resulting in non-ordersbecause the offered price exceeded that which the buyer requested.Similarly, the seller may see that the offered warranty was an issue in10% of the non-orders. Seller can use such information, in conjunctionwith recommendations presented with the data points to inform the sellerof various options, to determine whether the seller should modify his orher offer.

Auto-Post and Re-Post Feature

For example, a supplier has posted an aggregated offer for ship date Y.An order enters the system from a buyer with a different ship date Xspecified (could be the internal ERP system, other order entry system).The order is taken and the system determines there is a new ship datewith an X ship date. The system references the new ship date with theold. The system can be programmed to defer to the new ship date by anumber of criteria (such as by the customer who ordered the product, theamount ordered, etc.). If so, the program can be set to automatically dothe following:

If there are no orders for ship date Y, the system changes the ship dateto X and can notify the buyers accordingly.

If there are orders for ship date Y, the system alerts those buyers viaphone, fax, personal digital assistant, email, etc. of the change inship date. If the buyer confirms the new ship date is acceptable, theorder is added to offer X. An incentive (3% off your final price if youaccept, etc.) may be offered by the system (as programmed by thesupplier). Another option would be the buyer refuses to accept thediscount for the ship date. The buyer can then cancel the order via thesystem, or the supplier can honor the ship date of X as well as Y. Thesupplier can also automatically post the new ship date (X) in theDealRoom.

Change in Minimum Order Quantity

Product Offers are set up with a minimum order quantity to simulatenormal business practices. DAS also allows an Offer to be configuredwith a multiple minimum order quantities. Once the volume on aparticular offer reaches a predetermined level, the minimum orderquantity can be lowered (or presumably, raised).

For example, an offer for 12L14 bar could be set up with an initialminimum order quantity of 10 tons. Once orders have been placed totaling100 tons, the minimum order quantity could be lowered to 5 tonsautomatically.

Customer-Determined Offer Availability

Product Offers are generally determined by the supplier. However, DAShas the capability to survey buyers of a product. The buyer can indicatea desired purchasing schedule, indicating the types of products, productoptions, quantities and delivery dates. Using this information, asupplier can determine a production schedule that meets their internalgoals, while accommodating customer demand.

New Offer Notification

As new Offers are created, DAS can aid with the marketing and promotionof those offers. During the Offer creation process, DAS will notify theAction Manager of two potential pools of customers. First, DAS generatesa list of customers who have purchased that particular product before.Second, DAS will generate a list of potential customers, based on thesurvey data of registered buyers.

Using these two lists of buyers, the Action Manager (or Supplier) canthen create a targeted marketing program. DAS will allow new Offernotification both by email and by fax. A buyer with a particular producttagged will automatically or semi-automatically receive html alertswhenever the product has been ordered.

New Pricing Notification

As orders on offers are placed, prices fall based on the pre-determinedprice curve. As prices fall, DAS can generate different lists ofcustomers, such as: those who have already placed orders; those who havepurchased that particular product before; and potential customers, basedon the survey data of registered buyers. The Action Manager is notifiedof the price reduction and presented with the list. They can then electto notify the groups to the new price (and savings) via email or fax.

The supplier has the ability to alter the curve in one of the DealRoomsto those buyers who have not yet seen the curve. For instance, 40 buyershave access to a DealRoom. 5 buyers have visited with 2 placing orders.The curve will stay the same for this group of 5 (or two if the supplierwishes to engage this option). The new curve will change according toinput from the supplier (let's assume it is higher, but it also could belower). Now, when the remaining buyers (35) visit the DealRoom, theywill see only this new curve (with the volume of the two included toreflect an aggregated purchase in process). Likewise, the HTML noticesgenerated from this DealRoom will automatically have this groupseparated and tagged.

Those buyers who either saw the first curve would still see the curvethey saw earlier. The new buyers would see a different curve. Volumeordered by each would be reflected in the other curve. The supplier canchange a curve in mid-offer without upsetting any customers. The profitswould be higher with the real-time flex-curve and new buyers stillbenefit from aggregation (initial starting points, volume discounts,total volume, etc. could be changed by the supplier in real-time).

HTML and Instant Order Form

A buyer can receive a real-time HTML alert notifying the buyer of acurrent product or service price. An icon may then appear that allowsthe buyer to select to order the product or service immediately. Anothericon can also appear which would send a reminder to the buyer to checkback on the product or service at a predetermined time chosen by thebuyer. If the buyer chooses to order the product based on the HTMLalert, the buyer can bypass the front page (name and password sections)and the other pages in between, and be at the order page. The buyer canthen enter the order (or add to the already placed order) at the orderpage.

Tethered Price Curve

Every buyer is given a % off the price of a product along with ascheduled discount curve based on total volume ordered. The buyer'sdiscount follows the buyer throughout the DealRoom and by product. Asmore volume is ordered for a particular product, (e.g. 100 tons), thebuyer would experience the discount from their own price volume curve.In this way, 100 buyers could have 100 price curves while stillaggregating their demand on the same curve. Buyers are tethered off aproduction volume tied to a certain ship date or period.

Changing-Tethered Price Curve

The % off could also change according to time or any other criteriaselected by the supplier (product, fob point, volume, etc.) If the buyerhas not ordered yet, a personal discount may be reduced as more orderscome in. Conversely, if few orders are placed, the buyer may see anincrease in the discount curve until he orders. Once he does, hisparticular price curve is “locked in” for the remaining offer time.

Sales Manager Dashboard

A sales manager dashboard can be incorporated into the system. Thedashboard is designed to allow a user to quickly set up DealRooms,Offers, Products, Customers, and Customer Groups. Each of thesefunctions can be accessed from a standard web browser or wirelesspersonal digital assistant. Thus, the software allows quick set up andconfiguration of each set of data. The dashboard also contains aplurality of wizards that can quickly configure a set of information.The wizards can include:

-   -   DealRoom Wizard    -   A DealRoom wizard allows a user to quickly create new groups of        customers based on geography, company size, sales volume, or any        other category grouping. A point and drag feature can be        included to direct a potential buyer, a product offer, etc. to a        DealRoom.    -   Offer Wizard    -   An offer wizard allows a user to quickly create new offers,        based on previous offers or entirely new offers.    -   Product Wizard    -   A product wizard allows a user to add products to be offered.    -   Customer Wizard    -   A customer wizard allows a user to register new users by        manually entering information or importing information from        existing data sources (e.g., a spreadsheet). Users can be set up        from a workstation or the information can be entered remotely        from a wireless personal digital assistant.    -   Customer Group Wizard    -   A customer group wizard allows a user to create new customer        groups, reassign customers within groups, remove customers from        groups, or remove entire groups.

Each wizard, upon substantially completing its function, has the abilityto determine if another wizard should be invoked. For example, once theDealRoom wizard has completed setting up a new DealRoom and thecustomers that will have access to that DealRoom, the next logical stepis to call the product wizard to create products that will be offered inthe new DealRoom. The offer wizard would then be called next toconfigure the offers for those products. Likewise, the customer wizardcan call the customer group wizard in order to assign a new customer toan appropriate group or groups of buyers.

The sales manager dashboard may be accessed via a phone line. Forexample: a user calls a 1-800 number to access his DealRoom. The user isthen asked to enter a code, which may be entered on the number pad orspoken into the phone receiver. Once accepted by the system, the userhears a series of prompts. The prompts may include:

-   -   To post a new offer, press or say 1. Here, a series of prompts        then walks the user through a series of fields to be completed        (e.g., the product, starting price, price breaks, ending price,        quantities). The user can at any time review the information for        accuracy. The company name and buyer(s) or groups of buyers that        have access to the product are then entered. Finally a        confirmation is sent to the user to confirm the order The        confirmation may be sent via email, instant message, etc. After        the initial offer, the software can automatically enter new        offers for the user over the phone based on the user's input.    -   To add a new customer, press or say 2. Here a buyer can be added        online with a notification (via email, instant message, etc.)        sent to the buyer with user name and password information.    -   To change a customer's options, press or say 3. Here a customer        can be added or removed from a specified DealRoom.    -   To find current orders, press or say 4. Here a user can find his        current, outstanding orders, or a seller can find any        outstanding orders by customer and/or product.    -   To find DealRoom information, press or say 5. Here a user can        determine when a DealRoom will close, what the current product        price in the DealRoom is, etc.

A user can navigate through and even customize the options in order tohave access to any and all information available in a DealRoom.Restrictions upon these options may be set by a system administrator.

Action Manager Dashboard

The action manager can have access to part of or the entire operation ofDealRooms from multiple suppliers, multiple buyer and supplier pricecurves, etc. from a single screen. For example, drop down menus allow anaction manager to see a list of DealRooms by supplier. Selecting afolder allows the action manager to then see the various DealRoomswithin each supplier DealRoom. Selecting the folder again allows theaction manager to view the products offered in that particular DealRoom.In one section of the screen, the action manager can search viafilters/free text searches to pull up the name of a DealRoom, buyer,etc. Headings displayed in the search box can include new customers,existing customers, etc. A point and drag system lets the action managerput a new buyer into a proper DealRoom (listed in folders on a side ofthe screen). This tool allows the action manager to quickly post newcustomers to DealRooms, change access rights, or delete from theDealRoom. If the action manager selects a buyer name, another portion ofthe screen displays the individual buyer information as well as accessto notes, contact information, name and password information, etc.

Another portion of the screen is a delimiting function that allows theaction manager to limit searches by state, company name, DealRoomfolder, product folder, etc. Likewise, individual buyer information isavailable by selecting that particular folder. A product profile is alsolisted for each buyer, which can be completed by a buyer via email, uponregistration, or by the action manager during a phone call. Products aretagged and as orders are placed for those products, the buyer is alertedvia email automatically sent from this dashboard. The orders can also betabulated and viewed through the dashboard.

The products the buyer purchases are color coded to show the followingprofile:

Orders a product frequently—chart the orders over time

Has ordered in the past—shows when that product was last purchased,click again to see all of their purchases for this product, at whatprice they entered their order, at what price they received when all thevolume was added

Average price of when first order is placed

% savings from that price to the final price

% savings from the first list price versus the price where order wasplaced

Is order volume increasing over time, decreasing over time? Show graph

Superimpose trend of average price and total volume ordered . . .calculate the price sensitivity of this buyer: High, Medium, Low

Show range of the buys: min, max., average, median price points in asingle graph

What is the price elasticity for this customer: As price drops, how muchmore is ordered

Average savings on product

Extrapolate how much customer will order over the year (based on datacollected)

Show this on a graph . . . compare to the average of all buyers for thisproduct (tally from online orders for this item)

Develop a buyer profile showing the supplier (and possibly buyer) howoften the buyer orders, etc. for quick reference whenever the buyerprofile

Show curves for all of these features by different DealRoom segments

List feature—high price elasticity to low price elasticity

Customer adds to order: very frequently, infrequently

Supplier can group into segments: Green are tier 1 buyers, Blue tier twobuyers and decide to regroup the buyers into new DealRooms

Alert System

As each of the wizards is called, a user can configure a series ofnotifications. These notifications can be done via email, fax, orpaging, to a workstation, wireless personal digital assistant, orphone/pager. As part of the customer wizard, the user can choose to benotified the first time a new user logs onto the system, or the firsttime a user places an order. As part of the offer wizard, the user canchoose to be notified when the first order is placed, when the volume ofproduct ordered reaches a predetermined point, or when the offer isabout to close.

Support of Sales Goals

An example of the use of the sales manager's dashboard can be a quickconfiguration of offers for products after a sales meeting. When asupplier determines sales goals, focus on sales in a particular productline, or any other sales based initiatives, the system can beimmediately configured to support these initiatives. For instance, newoffers can be created for products determined to be hot sellers; newcustomer groups can be created to support initiatives to enter a newsales territory; and/or new DealRooms can be set up to accommodate arestructuring of sales accounts.

Posted Order Not Shown

When an order is cancelled, the volume may not be removed from the pricecurve due to the desire to show price transparency. However, this islikely to cause the supplier a significant loss since the buying groupwill be given the discounted price without the ordering the volume ofproduct that warrants such a discount. Cancellation fees may be imposed,however, if the cancellation takes place at the top of the curve, themargin of loss is still high. In order to protect a supplier from futurelosses, it is desired to keep the “canceling buyer” segregated from theother buyers. This can be done by showing the “canceling buyer” thecurve that the other buyers see. If the “canceling buyer” places andorder on his/her curve, this volume will be placed in his/her curveonly. Thus, the other buyers will not be affected. When the offercloses, and if the “canceling buyer” has not cancelled the order, thevolume will be added into the curve for the other buyers and the pricewill be discounted accordingly. This system could be accomplished byallowing a buyer to select an option to “hold volume until close.”

Purchasing Profile

The system can allow a customer to have a predefined purchasing profile.For example, if a customer typically purchases a particular product withparticular options, the customer's personalized information will beautomatically retrieved and entered when a new order for the customer isinitiated. Likewise, if a customer has a contract pricing relationshipwith a supplier, the customer's contract price, along with thecustomer's standard options and purchase information will beautomatically retrieved and entered when a new order for the customer isinitiated.

Reminders, via email or instant message, could also be sent to thecustomer based on his/her personal purchasing profile. For example, if acustomer desires to place orders 45 days in advance for particularproducts, the system could send reminders to the purchasing agent if thecustomer has not ordered within the 45 days. It is to be appreciatedthat any predetermined amount of time may be configured for thereminders.

The system can also automatically update fields, such as the additionalinformation field and the shipping instructions field, based on thecustomer's location. For example, if a customer typically has product Asent to his/her plant at location X and product B sent to his/her plantat location Y, the instructions specific to each product can beidentified and attached to the appropriate orders.

Another variation is a buyer with multiple products that are orderedfrom a particular supplier. A listing of these products is placed in thebuyer's customer profile. When a new curve is introduced for one ofthese products, the buyer receives an alert or feeder, as will bediscussed in greater detail below. If the alert is received via email,the email can contain a link and/or order icon, which will allow thebuyer to place a new order automatically. The customer profile can befurther tailored to match ship dates between the profile and thesupplier's product offering prior to sending an alert to the buyer.

The buyer may choose to have a feeder running across a portion of thebuyer's home page, which displays the current offers and prices forproducts in the customer profile. The price and ship dates can be listedalong with the price curves. An icon may be selected to see the currentprice curve. Thus, the buyer can view, firsthand, the ability to group apurchase. With one click, the buyer can access a particular DealRoomwhich displays the product curve and order page that the buyer isinterested in. Or, from the feeder, the buyer can click on a product andan order screen for the product appears. The feeder can be updated inreal-time to reflect new product prices and volumes available.

If the buyer has already placed an order for the product with adifferent ship date, the system displays the old ship date and the newship date to the buyer. The buyer is then given the opportunity totransfer the order to the new ship date by selecting an “accept new shipdate” icon. A confirmation notice via email, for example, is sent to thebuyer to inform him/her of the specific terms (e.g., cancellation terms)of the offer. The information immediately allows the order to be putonto a group purchase option and the price curve reflects the newchange.

Posting Additional Price Breaks

The system can automatically, or semi-automatically, post additionalprice breaks within an existing offer. For instance, if an offer has afirst price break of five dollars at 100 units and a second price breakof ten dollars at 300 units, the system can automatically post pricebreaks according to a predefined schedule or prompt the supplier to postprice breaks at various points between the 100 and 300 quantities. Theten dollars could be broken up equally (i.e., one dollar price break forevery 40 units), or a variety of other pricing structures could beestablished, such as, more breaks at the beginning of the curve, morebreaks at the end of the curve, and variations on the increments whetherequally distributed or lower dollar amounts initially then higher, etc.The option, once selected by the supplier, could alter the price curvesaccordingly. Likewise, this feature could be integrated into the systemwith the ability to alert buyers via email, fax, phone, instant message,etc. of the new price breaks that have been established.

Price Curve Creation Tool

A price curve creation tool allows a supplier to import existingcustomers and prices (contract and/or current price) and previousvolumes ordered into a price curve. The price in the DealRoom curve canbe established by having the supplier select a starting price curve andan option to put the same price on a first tier for a buyer with apredetermined percentage discount (e.g., 1% off current price when orderis placed online), or an option to match an offline price to the firsttier of an online curve. The rest of the curve can be created by using awizard. The wizard can walk the supplier through each buyer's curve froma single screen view and then display a curve that reflects the priceand volume breaks for that particular buyer. If the supplier changesquantities, the curve's slope will immediately change to reflect the newprice breaks. These price curves can likewise be changed quickly byusing the feature to modify an existing curve between DealRooms.

The invention has been described with reference to the preferredaspects. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to othersupon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It isintended that the invention be construed as including all suchmodifications alterations, and equivalents thereof and is limited onlyby the scope of the following claims.

Displays for Aggregated Purchasing

Displays, where a supplier can post for buyers the changes in pricesrelative to ship dates and time of order, can include:

-   -   Show offers by the day over a period of time (e.g., calendar        with 30 days).    -   Calendar for the product, which can coincide with the ship date.    -   A customer gains access to a DealRoom and sees a listing.    -   Current quantity available in stock and price of the current        stock.    -   The current price can read the customer's contract price or        default price set by the DealRoom where the buyer has been given        access.    -   A calendar shows the dates for any period of time (e.g. day by        day, week, month, quarter).

A price per unit measure (e.g. pound, carton). For instance, a buyerwould register to the DealRoom and instead of seeing a price curveupfront, the buyer would select a product category and then see acalendar appear with different prices for each date (tied to a ship dateor receive date). As an example, on the first day of the month, aproduct has a price of $129/thousand and on the fifth day, the producthas a price of $127/thousand. The buyer can select a day with a price byclicking on an icon. A price curve appears that shows where the price isin the curve, the next price break, quantity available, time for anorder to be placed, etc.

Other options also exist, which include: a table with prices andquantities, a 3-dimensional chart that lays out the month along with therelative price points and quantities available, a curve that showsprices (lowest to highest, for example) for the product, and price andtime remaining for each offer.

An “L” for the lowest price in view, “2L” for the next lowest price,etc. can also be listed on the calendar for a quick view.

The buyer can place an order and add to the group's acceptance date. Asthe offer closes, the price is confirmed and the order executed.

A quick search can be done to find the lowest current price, the lowestpotential price, etc. Or, a quick search can be done at the first pageby selecting a product and having the chart appear accordingly, or theprices and dates offered appear.

Some dates on the calendar may not have any numbers that would reflectthat the product is not available at that time (unless pulled frominventory in which a price can be put in that correlates to the contractprice/pull from inventory price).

A carrying cost calendar can be used on the screen as well for the buyerto plug in numbers such a quantity needed, time before product iscompletely used, date initially needed, average consumption per day,total carrying cost percentages, etc. and the system will return theappropriate volume to order and date.

The system can display information such as: how many buyers have accessto a particular offer, how many buyers have visited an offer to date,how much has been ordered by a group over the history of the product.

The system can also include a price protect feature for a supplier. Forexample, once a buyer has ordered, the screen, or calendar, is copiedand is accessible for future use. The data can be forwarded to adatabase that will track the price and delivery variances and arrive ata price sensitivity profiles for the buyer and the particular product.The supplier can also use this information to generate future calendarsfor this buyer or other buyers. A ranking system will also be availableto show the price sensitivity of this buyer as the different dates andprices are pulled into a database and a color-coded or ranking system isleveled that compares the buyers and puts them into categories, such as:high price sensitivity (1:3)—for every 1% decrease in price, thecustomer purchases 3% more; medium price sensitivity (1:1.125)—for every1% decrease in price, the customer purchases 1.25% more, low pricesensitivity, and no price sensitivity.

The calendar can also change in real-time based on the information fedinto the system by a semi-automatic function (the user inputs changingvolumes and prices) or a direct feeding of information from thesupplier's ERP system. Current inventory levels would not only change,but also the available volumes.

The supplier or buyer can also have a save feature incorporated thatallows the buyer to save the prices presented in the calendar for aperiod of time determined by the supplier. In this way, the buyer hasaccess to a product's old prices for a period of time while still havingaccess to the lower prices that may appear from changes to the calendarin the interim. It is a way to reward a buyer for participating in theprogram and can be done automatically by the software and given a name(e.g., calendar 5/1/02 for quick access).

Predictive Modeling and Reporting Function

The demand aggregation system can also include a predictive modeling andreporting function. Authorized data can be posted in a DealRoom and isaudited and confirmed by an outside source, if necessary. The authorizeddata can include:

-   -   the number of open DealRooms for a product    -   the average offer period    -   minimum and maximum prices offered    -   minimum and maximum quantities offered    -   at least one graph illustrating starting and ending points for        the product    -   average volume ordered in each DealRoom    -   mean, variance, standard deviation, and other statistical        analysis    -   trend analysis    -   number of total buyers with access to the offer    -   number of active buyers with access to the offer    -   average number of active buyers to total buyers with access to        the DealRoom

An algorithm is then employed to utilize the information described aboveand post a probability chart on the product price point. For instance,the product being offered has the following probability posted:

10% probability the final price will be $125

80% probability the final price will be $135

10% probability the final price will be $145

As volume is ordered for the product, the probabilities are updated inreal-time to reflect the change. Thus, if the time required to reach themid-point on the price curve occurs earlier within the time frame of theoffer, the probabilities of the price dropping to a lower price risesand another probability is presented to illustrate that the price coulddrop further.

The present invention may be implemented via object oriented programmingtechniques. In this case each component of the system could be an objectin a software routine or a component within an object. Object orientedprogramming shifts the emphasis of software development away fromfunction decomposition and towards the recognition of units of softwarecalled “objects” which encapsulate both data and functions. ObjectOriented Programming (00P) objects are software entities comprising datastructures and operations on data. Together, these elements allowobjects to model virtually any real-world entity in terms of itscharacteristics, represented by its data elements, and its behaviorrepresented by its data manipulation functions. In this way, objects canmodel concrete things like people and computers, and they can modelabstract concepts like numbers or geometrical concepts.

The benefit of object technology arises out of three basic principles:encapsulation, polymorphism and inheritance. Objects hide or encapsulatethe internal structure of their data and the algorithms by which theirfunctions work. Instead of exposing these implementation details,objects present interfaces that represent their abstractions cleanlywith no extraneous information. Polymorphism takes encapsulation onestep further—the idea being many shapes, one interface. A softwarecomponent can make a request of another component without knowingexactly what that component is. The component that receives the requestinterprets it and figures out according to its variables and data how toexecute the request. The third principle is inheritance, which allowsdevelopers to reuse pre-existing design and code. This capability allowsdevelopers to avoid creating software from scratch. Rather, throughinheritance, developers derive subclasses that inherit behaviors, whichthe developer then customizes to meet particular needs.

In particular, an object includes, and is characterized by, a set ofdata (e.g., attributes) and a set of operations (e.g., methods), thatcan operate on the data. Generally, an object's data is ideally changedonly through the operation of the object's methods. Methods in an objectare invoked by passing a message to the object (e.g., message passing).The message specifies a method name and an argument list. When theobject receives the message, code associated with the named method isexecuted with the formal parameters of the method bound to thecorresponding values in the argument list. Methods and message passingin 00P are analogous to procedures and procedure calls inprocedure-oriented software environments.

However, while procedures operate to modify and return passedparameters, methods operate to modify the internal state of theassociated objects (by modifying the data contained therein). Thecombination of data and methods in objects is called encapsulation.Encapsulation provides for the state of an object to only be changed bywell-defined methods associated with the object. When the behavior of anobject is confined to such well-defined locations and interfaces,changes (e.g., code modifications) in the object will have minimalimpact on the other objects and elements in the system.

Each object is an instance of some class. A class includes a set of dataattributes plus a set of allowable operations (e.g., methods) on thedata attributes. As mentioned above, 00P supports inheritance—a class(called a subclass) may be derived from another class (called a baseclass, parent class, etc.), where the subclass inherits the dataattributes and methods of the base class. The subclass may specializethe base class by adding code which overrides the data and/or methods ofthe base class, or which adds new data attributes and methods. Thus,inheritance represents a mechanism by which abstractions are madeincreasingly concrete as subclasses are created for greater levels ofspecialization.

The present invention can employ abstract classes, which are designs ofsets of objects that collaborate to carry out a set of responsibilities.Frameworks are essentially groups of interconnected objects and classesthat provide a prefabricated structure for a working application. Itshould also be appreciated that the PCM and the shared memory componentscould be implemented utilizing hardware and/or software, and all suchvariations are intended to fall within the appended claims includedherein.

According to an exemplary aspect of the present invention, Java andCORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) are employed to carryout the present invention. Java is an object-oriented, distributed,secure, architecture neutral language. Java provides for object-orienteddesign, which facilitates the clean definition of interfaces and makesit possible to provide reusable “software ICs.” Java has an extensivelibrary of routines for copying easily with TCP/IP protocols like HTTPand FTP. Java applications can open and access objects across a networkvia URLs with the same ease to which programmers are accustomed toaccessing a local file system.

Furthermore, Java utilizes “references” in place of a pointer model andso eliminates the possibility of overwriting memory and corrupting data.Instead of pointer arithmetic that is employed in many conventionalsystems, the Java “virtual machine” mediates access to Java objects(attributes and methods) in a type-safe way. In addition, it is notpossible to turn an arbitrary integer into a reference by casting (aswould be the case in C and C++ programs). In so doing, Java allows theconstruction of virus-free, tamper-free systems. The changes to thesemantics of references make it virtually impossible for applications toforge access to data structures or to access private data in objectsthat they do not have access to. As a result, most activities of virusesare precluded from corrupting a Java system.

Java affords for the support of applications on networks. Networks arecomposed of a variety of systems with a variety of CPU and operatingsystem architectures. To enable a Java application to execute anywhereon the network, a compiler generates an architecture neutral object fileformat—the compiled code is executable on many processors, given thepresence of the Java runtime system. Thus, Java is useful not only fornetworks but also for single system software distribution. In thepresent personal computer market, application writers have to produceversions of their applications that are compatible with the IBM PC andwith the Apple Macintosh. However, with Java, the same version of theapplication runs on all platforms. The Java compiler accomplishes thisby generating byte code instructions which have nothing to do withparticular computer architecture. Rather, they are designed to be botheasy to interpret on any machine and easily translated into nativemachine code on the fly.

Being architecture neutral, the “implementation dependent” aspects ofthe system are reduced or eliminated. The Java virtual machine (VM) canexecute Java byte codes directly on any machine to which the VM has beenported. Since linking is a more incremental and lightweight process, thedevelopment process can be much more rapid and exploratory. As part ofthe byte code stream, more compile-time information is carried over andavailable at runtime.

Thus, the use of Java in the present invention provides a server to sendprograms over the network as easily as traditional servers send data.These programs can display and manipulate data on a client computer Thepresent invention through the use of Java supports execution on multipleplatforms. That is the same programs can be run on substantially allcomputers—the same Java program can work on a Macintosh, a Windows 95machine, a Sun workstation, etc. To effect such multi-platform support,a network interface 105 and a network browser (not shown) such asNetscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer may be used in atleast one aspect of the present invention. It should be appreciated,however, that a Java stand-alone application may be constructed toachieve a substantially equivalent result. Although the presentinvention is described with respect to employing Java, it will beappreciated that any suitable programming language may be employed tocarry out the present invention.

An Internet explorer (e.g., Netscape, Microsoft Internet Explorer) isheld within the memory of the client computer. The Internet Explorerallows a user to explore the Internet and view documents from theInternet. The Internet Explorer may include client programs for protocolhandlers for different Internet protocols (e.g., HTTP, FTP and Gopher)to facilitate browsing using different protocols.

It is to be appreciated that any programming methodology and/or computerarchitecture suitable for carrying out the present invention may beemployed and are intended to fall within the scope of the heretoappended claims.

The subject invention has industrial applicability in at least thefields of computer systems, networks, and electronic commerce.

What is claimed is:
 1. A non-transitory computer readable storage mediumhaving embodied thereon instructions executable by a processor to:receive product registration data from a merchant associated withselling a good or service, the product registration data including:non-price criterions that define characteristics of the good or service,the non-price criterions including information related to the deliveryof the good or service, and at least one offer criterion thatestablishes a value of the good or service; construct an index of offersaccording to a category of the good or service associated with theproduct registration data, wherein the index is searchable according tothe category or the product registration data; and receive a searchquery including: at least one of the non-price criterions, abuyer-generated criterion related to a desired good or service, thebuyer-generated criterion not provided as a part of the productregistration data, and a quality value associated with the merchant,wherein at least one of the non-price criterions, buyer-generatedcriterion, or quality value received as part of the search queryconstitute a range; and output search results responsive to the searchquery.